Rotary engine



No. 609,7". Pa'tent ed Aug. 23, I898.

c. J. SULLIVAN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed July 10, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

{No Model.)

Wit macs ,0 4 azbMw Patented Aug. 23, I898.

0. J. SULLIVAN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(App'cation 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

7 ova 7 a NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CORNELIUS J. SULLIVAN, OF NORWOOD, MASSACHUSETTS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 609,711, dated August 23, 1898.

Application filed July 10, 1897. Serial No. 644,123. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CORNELIUS J. SULLI- VAN, of Norwood, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in rotary engines; and the object of my invention is to produce a compact, easily-built, and easily-operated engine of this type.

With this object in view my invention consists in the construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims. I

, In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved rotary engine. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the engine proper, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4 of Fig. 2.

A represents the casing, which is substan tially cylindrical in shape and is supported upon the feet a. This casing is made in three parts, the central section being about twice the width of the end sections. Each of these parts or sections has a flange a and the different parts are united together by bolts passing through said flanges.

Packing may be used between the sections, if desired. i

The casing is provided with a swell a, within which the abutment-valves are located, and an upward extension a which forms a steam-chest and in which the valves are located. This chest is provided with a cover a bolted to the extension of and having the steam-pipe B connected to its center. The casing is centrally perforated for the passage of the main shaft 0.

Each of the end sections of the casing is formed as follows: The outerfaceis flat. The inner face is hollowed out inthe following manner N ear the edge is'a quarter-circle a then comes a smaller circular depression a for the reception of packing, then a still smaller circular elevation at", and then a still smaller circular depression at which extends to the opening for the shaft 0. Circular packing is placed at the exterior of the depression a the central part being left open to act as an oil-reservoir. The casing is provided with steam-inlet openings a and exhaust-ports a.

- The central section is like the end sections, except that both faces are provided with the elevations,depressions, &c. already described in connection with the end sections. It will be seen that by this construction two steamohambers are formed in the casing A. In each of these chambers is a revoluble piston D on the shaft 0. These pistons are firmly fastened to the shaft 0 in any suitable manner. They are cylindrical in their general outline, the height of the cylinder being small in comparison with its diameter. The ends of each piston are hollowed out, as at d, to conform at the outer edge to the interior of the casing and to form, with the depressions a of said casing, oil-reservoirs. The periphery of each of these cylinders is hollowed out, as at 01 so as to form a half-circle in crosssection, and with the quarter-circles hollowed out in the casing they form a ring which is circular in cross-section.

In the semicircular depression of the piston is located a circular piston-head d, which exactly fills the space between the piston and the casing. A rib d of gradually-decreasing diameter, is located in front of the pistonhead (1 and operates the abutment-valve E, This abutment-valve E is located in the swell a of the casing. It is journaled on the shaft 6 in said casing. As shown in Fig. 4, it is provided with a semicircular portion e, which exactly fits in the semicircular groove in the piston and is provided with shoulders e, fitting over the outer edges of the piston and against the packing in the depression a of the casing, making a tight joint.

Through the steam-chest extends the shaft 9, carrying the valves G. These valves are halves of cylinders mounted ninety degrees apaa'on said shaft, so that when one is open the other is closed, and vice versa. To the shaft 9 is rigidly fastened an arm g, and to the shaft 6 is rigidly secured an arm 6 A link e is pivotally connected to the arm 9 and to the arm a The result is that any movement of the shaft g produces a corresponding movement of the shaft c and vice versa.

The two halves of the engine proper are exactly symmetrical, and the previous description applies to both halves, except that the piston-heads d in the two chambers are located one hundred and eighty degrees apart.

On the steam-pipe'is mounted a governor c of the ordinary type. Shafts c and c are mounted in frames provided with bearings upon the casing. By means of the shafts and the bevel-gears c c and c the shaft 0 drives the governor 0 The operation is as follows: The engine bein g in the position shown in Fig. 2, steam is adinitted and passes through the opening a into the space between the abutment-valve E and piston-head d, driving the latter and revolving the moving parts of the engine. This action continues until the piston has been driven about half-way around, when the valve G is closed, since the shaft g is partially revolved by the movement of the abutment-valve in the other chamber. The revolution, 'however, will continue, owing to the momentum of the moving parts and the expansive force of the steam, until the rib d strikes the abutment-valve E, under which the steam flows and begins to be exhausted through the outlet a This continues until the piston-head passes the outlet a"; after which the steam exhausts freely through said outlet behind the piston-head. The motion continues until the piston-head has passed the abutmentvalve and returns to the starting-point, when the operation is repeated. The same cycle of movements obtains in the other chamber, but a little later in time. Thus it will be seen that the movement of the piston-head in one chamber cuts off the supply of steam to the other chamber at the proper time. This action is reciprocal. It is obvious that many changes might be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I wish it to be expressly understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A rotary engine provided with two steamtight circular casings, each having a circular periphery, a cylinder provided with a pistonhead mounted in each one of the casings, said piston-heads being mounted at substantially one hundred and eighty degrees apart, a rib of gradually-decreasing width arranged behind each piston-head, a pivoted abutmentvalve in each casing adapted to be operated by said rib and to fall by its own weight after the piston-head has passed it, an inlet-opening arranged above each casing, valves for said inlet-openings mounted on a single rotary shaft, said valves being approximately halves of cylinders mounted substantially at ninety degrees apart upon said shaft, a leverarm secured to the shaft of one of the abutment-valves, a second lever-arm secured to the shaft of the steam-valves, and a link connecting said lever-arms whereby by the rise of said abutment-valve one of the said steamlevers will be opened and the other closed, and whereby by the fall of said abutmentvalve the reverse operation is carried out, substantially as described.

2. In a rotary' engine, the combination of two steam-tight circular casings located parallel to each other, a partition between said casings, each of said casings being formed in two parts and each part provided with a central opening for the passage of a shaft and with steam inlet and exhaust openings, and each casing being curved on its periphery to form a quarter-circle and provided with an interior depression immediately within said quarter-circle, a circular elevation immediately within said depression and a circular depression within said elevation said depressions being adapted to contain packing, a revoluble part located in each casing and rigidly fastened to a shaft passing through the entire machine, each revoluble part being composed of a cylinder with a groove on its periphery substantially semicircular in shape and with its ends hollowed out, a circular piston-head fastened to each of the said cylinders in the semicircular groove, said pistonheads being arranged at substantially one hundred and eighty degrees apart, and a rib of gradually-decreasing width located behind each piston-head and at right angles to the shaft, and a pivoted abutment-valve located in each casing and adapted to be operated by said rib and to fall by its own weight when said piston-head has passed it, substantially as described.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination of two steam-tight circular casings located parallel to each other, a partition between said casings, each of said casings being formed in two parts and each part provided with a central opening for the passage of a shaft and with steam inlet and exhaust openings, and each casing being curved on its periphery to form a quarter-circle and provided with an interior depression immediately within said quarter-circle, a circular elevation immediately within said depression, and a circular depression within said elevation, said depressions being adapted to contain packing, a revoluble'part located in each casing and rigidly fastened to a shaft passing through the entire machine, each revoluble part being composed of a cylinder with a groove on its periphery substantially semicircular in shape and with its ends hollowed out, a circular piston-head fastened to each of said cylinders in the semicircular groove, said piston-heads being arranged at substantially one hundred and eighty degrees apart, a rib of graduallyo valves, a second lever-arm mounted upon the shaft of the steam-valves, and a link connecting said levers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CORNELIUS J. SULLIVAN.

Witnesses:

GEO. B. TALBOT, J EANIE F. SHELDON. 

